“2016 Silk Road Economic Belt Cities International Forum” opened in Yiwu.

 

On November 14, “2016 Silk Road Economic Belt Cities International Forum” opened in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, themed “Promoting Connectivity and Sharing Trade Prosperity”.

The forum co-hosted by Silk Road Think Tank Association (SRTA), Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China (RDCY) and Municipal People’s Government of Yiwu, and attended by Over 400 representatives including political gurus from over 30 countries, diplomatic envoys, business representatives, experts and researchers, talking about further cooperation and development of the “Belt and Road” international trade pivot cities.

Dou Enyong, Assistant Minister of the International Department of Central Committee of CPC, Benjamin Willianm Mkapa, Former President of Tanzania, Gao Xingfu, vice-governor of Zhejiang province, made remarks at the opening ceremony. Liu Wei, President of Renmin University of China, sent a congratulatory letter to the forum. Kevin Rudd, Former Prime Minister of Australia, Djoomart Otorbaev, Former Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Grzegorz W. Kolodko, Former Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Poland, and Bruno Maçães, Former Minister for Europe in the Portuguese Government, Ou Xiaoli, Inspector of the Department of Western Region Development, National Development and Reform Commission, Song Lihong, Inspector of Comprehensive Department of Ministry of Commerce, and Yao Peisheng, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC, made keynote speeches at the opening ceremony.

 

 

Dou Enyong, Assistant Minister of the International Department of CPC, made remarks at the opening ceremony. 

 

Dou Enyong noted that in the past three years, the Belt and Road has made tangible achievements and early harvests through the joint efforts of the countries along the Belt and Road.

 

 

 Benjamin Willianm Mkapa, Former President of Tanzania, made remarks at the opening ceremony.

 

Yiwu is the starting point of the new Silk Road, Said Benjamin Willianm Mkapafrom, and from Yiwu to African countries, the Belt and Road construction is expected.

 

 

Gao Xingfu, vice-governor of Zhejiang province, made remarks at the opening ceremony.

 

"As the frequency of Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe rail line further increases, the connection and service function of Zhejiang province and Yiwu city along the Belt and Road route will be more prominent," said Gao Xingfu.

 

 

Zhang Yanling, Former Executive Vice President of Bank of China, Executive Director of ICC, Senior Fellow of RDCY, read congratulatory letter from Liu Wei, President of RUC.

 

 

 

Kevin Rudd, Former Prime Minister of Australia, made a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

 

Kevin Rudd pointed out in his speech, "Belt and Road Initiative" is one of the major diplomatic strategies of China, is a new approach of Chinese opening up deeply, is a new Long March for China`s "going global" strategy.

 

 

Djoomart Otorbaev, Former Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, made a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

 

Djoomart Otorbaev said, "As a a model of Chinese economic development, Yiwu is very prosperous. And because there are many other trade interconnection cities like Yiwu between China and Kyrgyzstan, which make the cooperation be effectively implemented.”

 

 

Grzegorz W. Kolodko, Former Vice Prime Minister of Poland, made a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

 

 

Bruno Maçães, Former Minister for Europe in the Portuguese Government, made a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

 

 

Ou Xiaoli, Inspector of the Department of Western Region Development, National Development and Reform Commission, made a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

 

 

Song Lihong, Inspector of Comprehensive Department of Ministry of Commerce, made a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

 

 

Sheng Qiuping, Member of Standing Committee of Jinhua City, Secretary of Party Committee of Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, made a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

 

As the world`s biggest small commodities wholesale market, Yiwu`s international trade is extraordinarily prosperous. According to Sheng Qiuping, the Yiwu population of businessmen from all over the country and world is about twice of the population of local residents. The city`s export volume grew 43 percent year on year to $33.8 billion last year despite sluggish global trade.

 

 

Yao Peisheng, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC, made keynote speeches at the opening ceremony.

  

 

Wang Wen, Executive Dean of RDCY, released the report at the opening ceremony.

 

“Promoting Connectivity and Sharing Trade Prosperity” Report was Released by Wang Wen, Executive Dean of RDCY. The report has established an evaluation system of the Belt and Road international trade pivot cities, to monitor the international trade competitiveness of domestic cities along the Belt and Road route with considerable economic scale, international trade volume and regional advantage.

To promote the construction of the “Belt and Road” through unimpeded trade, improve the cooperation among pivot cities in international trade, the forum set up three parallel sub-forums on “City Dialogue”, “Cross-border Dialogue”, and “University President Dialogue”, talking about the collaborative development and future Prospect of international trade pivot cities along the “Belt and Road”, cross-border trade cooperation and trade Facilitation under new situation, and international talent cultivation and international cooperative school-running.  

 

Medium-sized port cities show competitiveness in international trade

 

RDCY Report: Adhering to the Planning, Orderly and Pragmatically Build the “Belt and Road”